Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-04-01

fingered for long time as n reminder OF the
days when the laws of Ohio were made at Zanes-
Vile.
The General Assembly met at GAINESVILLE for
the first time on the third day of December,
1910 Edward Thin, of Chllicothe, the first
Governor OF Ohio, was Speaker OF the Senate.
Return Jonathan Meigs was Governor OF Ohio
while GAINESVILLE was the capital, and for some
years after. He did not make his residence in
GAINESVILLE, but was there good deal Of the
time, and made an impression upon the work OF
the Legislature.
Return Jonathan Meigs was the second Gov
ernor elected by the people of Ohio 1t will be
remembered that his election was contested by
Nathaniel Massie on the ground that Meigs was
nonresident at the time OF his election
He was born in Middletown, Connecticut, in
+, 1765 He was graduated from Yale College in
| his twentieth year, and three years later was
| admitted TO the practice OF law, and removed to
Marietta with his young wife.
| Marietta was In the wilderness when Meigs
| came to II, but he found within the stockade,
where the early settlers lived for the sake oi
protection against the Indians, number oi
congenial spirits, who like himself were fond oi
| literature and intellectual pursuits.
Meigs soon became man OF some promi
nence, and is said to have been very highly con
sidered by Governor st. Clair, at that time, who
in 1890 sent him with dispatches TO the officer in
command of the British post at Detroit. The
dispatches were a formal protest against the ef
forts OF the British to incite the Indians ant
cause them to make war on the settlers.
| Moigs had an adventurous journey, and per
| formed his duty well, but the British continued
their inhuman policy.
| In the winter OF 1902 he was elected Judge
OF the Supreme Court by the Legislature o.
| Ohio. The associate judges were Samuel Hunt
| ington, who, like himself, was to become Gov
| ernor OF the State and George Tod, whose son
| WA al
| Ohio
Judge Meigs was on good terms with tn II
| Jefferson Administration and after the Louis
| lana purchase had been made he was appointed
by the President TO the command OF the uppe
| portion of the new district with the rank o
] Brevet Colonel of the U, S. Army. He wa
also Judge OF the Supreme Court OF Louisi
| ana. and was located for year or so AT ST
Louis His health failed him and he resigned
but was soon after appointed by President JET
ferson u. S. Judge for the District OF Michigan
| and had Just entered upon tho duties OF tina
ONCE when he was nominated for Governor o
Ohio. lie received q majority OF the votes cast
but his opponent claimed that his residence II
st. Louis had lost him his citizenship In Ohio
and the Legislature sustained this view OF th
case. Judge Meigs did not question the decls
ion, and was shortly afterward selecteda Judg
OF the Supreme Court and was soon after sen
10 the u. s. Senate TO I'LL the uncxpred term q
John Smith, who resigned his seat TO avoid i'm
peachment, because he was suspected OF com
plicity In the Barr conspiracy. Judge Meig
was elected TO a full term In the u. S. Senat
by the Ohio Legislature as soon as his shor
term OF service expired. The next year he wa
nominated for Governor and elected by mt
jority OF more than two thousand votes.
He was q good Governor and In the war Q
1912 rendered efficient service In protecting tn
Northwestern frontier. His work In this lin
gave him o National reputation and he we